Gauze Dressings

Gauze dressings for wounds are particularly advantageous for their non-adherent construction and conformability. This wound care product conforms and clings to body contours and displays maximum absorbency powers. Gauze pads are useful for dressing wounds, especially in cases where other fabrics might adhere to the burn or laceration. These medical bandages are non-adherent and because of this they can be used to pack a wound since they prove non-traumatic during dressing change.

How gauze dressings work

Gauze bandage is a medical fabric which is made from the fibers of cotton, polyester, rayon or a combination of all. Gauze bandages protect the wound from bacterial infection and other contaminants while maintaining a moist wound environment to promote healing.

Features of gauze wound dressings

Gauze dressings are highly versatile and available in varying shapes and sizes. Therefore, they are the most used wound dressings. They can be used in several types of wounds for packing, scrubbing, covering, cleansing and securing.

Highly permeable

Breathable

Non-occlusive

Gauze for wounds is available as squares, sheets, packing strips and rolls.Gauze comes in two forms - woven and non-woven.

Woven gauze has open and loose weaving which makes absorption of exudate easy into the open loose fibers. It allows fluid to easily pass into more absorbent materials. This dressing gauze is available in fine and coarse meshes with varying threat counts. Where debridement is needed, the coarse variety is used. Fine meshes are preferred where packing of a wound is required for providing a sealed barrier. Woven gauze is best used where higher absorbency levels or drainage is required.

Non-woven gauze is generally made of rayon, polyester or a mix of the two and produces less lint unlike the woven variety. It also leaves fewer fibers on the wound bed plus is softer and stronger than woven gauze. Non-woven gauze is more closely knit like a weave which helps provide stronger absorbency rate and efficient wicking of fluids. It is best used for extra strength or protection.

When to use gauze dressings

Gauze wound dressing is the most commonly used dressing and can be used in multiple types of wounds. These include:

Laceration/abrasion

Full-thickness burn /third-degree burn /graft wounds

Pressure ulcers

Surgical/post-operative wounds

Donor sites

Superficial burn/first-degree burn

Superficial or low exudate wounds

Acute/traumatic wounds

Partial/full thickness wounds

Partial-thickness burn /second-degree burn

Cancerous or gangrenous wounds

Diabetic ulcers

Low-to-moderate exuding wounds

Moderate-to-high exuding wounds

Venous ulcers /foot/leg ulcers

Different types of gauze dressings

The different types of gauze dressings for wounds include:

Impregnated dressing: This type of a gauze dressing is coated or covered with pharmaceutical materials like antimicrobials, petroleum jelly, oil or water emulsion, iodine or hydrogel.

Wrapping gauze: Wrapping gauze is available in different materials like cotton, elastic, rubber mix or nylon. It has a fluff dried with crinkle-weave pattern and is used to pad, protect and secure.

Sponges: Sponge gauze dressing is also referred to as a gauze pad. It is generally used for padding and available as layered squares in sizes 2×2 inches or 4×4 inches.

There are several wound dressing types available in gauze. These include non-adherent gauze dressings, absorbent gauze bandages, petrolatum gauze dressings, island gauze dressings and low-adherent gauze dressings. You can also choose from sterile gauze or non-sterile gauze, bordered and occlusive gauze wound care dressings.

The McKesson Adhesive sterile square island dressing is an example of bordered gauze which combines an absorbent non-adherent central pad surrounded by a breathable adhesive border.

The Medtronic CovidienXeroform occlusive petrolatum gauze dressing can be used in compression therapy as well as in deep and shallow wounds. It gives users peace of mind that the dressing will not stick to wound and cause pain when removed.

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